Vanderbilt Commodores

Vanderbilt Commodores

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Vanderbilt sophomore QB Kyle Shurmur completed 21 of 34 attempts for 416 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in the school's 45-34 win over Tennessee.

Head coach Derek Mason was fired up after the victory, and the Commodores finish the regular season at 6-6 with this clearly being their signature win along with last week's domination of Ole Miss. Mason also helped Vanderbilt top Georgia this year. Shurmur showed plenty of promise in the game and will look to impress scouts next season.

Webb and the rest of his Commodore friends held a 14-10 lead at the half. They would open out of the locker room with a strong third quarter that included two of Webb's three touchdowns. When all the dust settled, Vanderbilt held a 31-10 advantage. Both teams would trade touchdowns in the fourth quarter as Vandy came away with their best win of the season. For his part, the 5-foot-10, 190-pound Webb has now rushed for 1,058 yards and 10 touchdowns. Improving to 5-6 with the win, only Tennessee stands in the way of Vanderbilt's first bowl game since 2013.

Cunningham forced a fumble, blocked a field goal and had nine tackles against Auburn over the weekend, giving him a team-leading 94 this season. There are a few things that Pauline thinks he needs to work on before entering the NFL, however. "Cunningham must improve his play against the pass and be more disciplined with assignments as he often fires up the field and gets caught out of position," he wrote. NFL Media's Chad Reuter wrote last month that Cunningham may remind NFL scouts of longtime NFL starter Karlos Dansby.

Cunningham continues to dominate out of the spotlight, accruing a career-high 19 tackles on Saturday against Georgia. He leads all Power-5 LBs in stops. "He's listed at 6-foot-4, 230 pounds and makes strong tackles," Reuter wrote. "He's physical with pulling guards to shed to make the play. He'll add weight for the NFL Scouting Combine, and scouts might be reminded of longtime NFL starter Karlos Dansby when they watch Cunningham."

ESPN's Mel Kiper recently ranked Cunningham as the No. 3 inside linebacker for the 2017 draft and compared him to New England 2013 second-rounder Jamie Collins. "Collins is a star on the rise, and so is Cunningham," he wrote. CBS Sports' Dane Brugler is on record having called Cunningham a potential first-rounder.

Webb was unable to truly break free in this one, as he finished with a long run of just 15 yards. The Commodores might not be an offensive juggernaut, but the 5-foot-10, 190-pound Webb has showcased metronomical consistency through six games. He has rushed for at least 95 yards in five of six contests.

TFY Draft Insider's Tony Pauline concedes that Vanderbilt redshirt senior DL Adam Butler "lacks next level athleticism" but believes the prospect is "skilled in all areas of the game which could help him latch on as a 7th or 8th lineman in the NFL."

Last year, Butler had only 12 solo tackles among 18 total tackles but finished with three sacks and seven TFL. He's busted out in a big way this fall, including two sacks and two TFL against Florida last weekend. "Scouts stamped Butler as a menial UDFA entering the season, something I was also guilty of, yet the senior defensive lineman continues to disrupt opponents game plans during crucial moments," Pauline wrote.

ESPN's Mel Kiper ranks Cunningham as the No. 3 inside linebacker for the 2017 draft. "At 6-foot-4, 233 pounds, he has good read-and-react ability and doesn't waste time in diagnosing plays," he wrote. "He's a smart player who takes on blocks well. I see him as a three-down linebacker in the NFL." So does CBS Sports' Dane Brugler, who thinks Cunningham may be a first-rounder. Kiper compares Cunningham to New England 2013 second-rounder Jamie Collins. "Collins is a star on the rise, and so is Cunningham," he wrote.

Shurmur was knocked out of Saturday's showdown with Florida in the closing minutes. All indications at the beginning of the week are optimistic, but head injuries are notoriously fickle and he shouldn't be considered a guarantee to play against Kentucky this coming weekend.

The three touchdowns stand as a career best for Webb. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound redshirt junior averaged just 3.5 YPC in the overtime win. For the season, he has rushed for 472 yards and five touchdowns. Webb will have a tough task next weekend, when he takes on Florida's rock-solid rush defense.

Vanderbilt redshirt junior LB Zach Cunningham had a team-high 12 tackles, three TFL and a fumble recovery in last Thursday's loss to South Carolina.

"He goes from A-to-B quickly in pursuit with excellent play speed and fluid movements to redirect without gearing down in his transition," wrote CBS Sports' Dane Brugler. "Cunningham has above average arm length and the take-on strength to engage, shed and quickly find the ball carrier, coming to balance on the move to keep himself clean in space." The analyst predicts that Cunningham may become Vanderbilt's first defensive player drafted in the first round since 1984.

Vanderbilt HC Derek Mason indicated that he was displeased with USA Today's preseason ranking of 113th.

"With that USA Today article, we’re mad. We’ve got a chip on shoulder — offensively, defensively, special teams," Mason said. "That’s a slap in the face and a kick in the mouth." CB Torren McGaster echoed these sentiments, but hopes to shock the world. "Of course, we hear all that," he said. "But our offense is going to prove the nation wrong. Our defense is going to prove the nation wrong." In his first two seasons as Vandy's head coach, Mason's squads have gone a combined 7-17. Record aside, though, a rival SEC coach who spoke with Athlon Sports this offseason called Mason "as good of a defensive coach as there is in the world."

Vanderbilt redshirt senior OT Andrew Jelks and redshirt sophomore QB Shawn Stankavage will miss the 2016 season due to injury.

Vanderbilt HC Derek Mason relayed the statuses of Jelks and Stankavage to reporters, but did not offer specifics regarding the injuries themselves. Jelks was a 12-game starter at left tackle in 2014, but a knee injury suffered last August sidelined him for the entirety of the 2015 season. Stankavage did not see the field last season either, due in part to an offseason leg injury of his own. As Jelks was an expected starter for the coming season, Justin Skule and Bailey Granier could see increased reps as Mason looks to find a suitable tackle replacement for the 6-foot-6, 305-pounder.